Shortly before 7am the Beverly Fire Department was dispatched for a report of a dryer fire at Manchester House on Beverly Commons Dr. Upon arrival, Engine 5 and Car 2 found smoke coming from a 2nd floor window of an occupied building with 8 apartments. The four occupants of the apartment had evacuated and were safely outside.

Inside the apartment, Lt Donald Philpot and the crew of Engine 5 found a fire involving a dryer in a second floor laundry area. The crew, assisted by firefighters from T-1 and Car 4 used fire extinguishers to knock down the fire before it could extend beyond the dryer into structural areas. Crews then ventilated the apartment and removed the washer and dryer to the outside of the building.

The fire did not cause any injuries, but left moderate smoke damage in the second floor of the apartment. The occupants were working with the property owners for clean up. The fire was unintentional and started in the dryer while a load of laundry was drying.

Hydrants

Last weekend’s storm left us with more snow than we have seen in the area in a long time. Now that the roads are clearing, many of your local fire departments will be out for the next week shoveling the hydrants that have been covered up by the plowed snow. Those firefighters will spend hours each day shoveling and still uncover only a fraction of the hydrants across the city. Please take the time to locate and uncover the fire hydrant near your home to insure firefighters have the water they need if a fire strikes in your neighborhood.

Dog Rescue

On Saturday February 9, Truck 1 and Car 4 responded to 5R Lindsey Ave for a report of a dog trapped under a house. Upon arrival, crews found a small dog had gone outside and crawled into a space under the home where it became trapped. Firefighters cleared a path through three feet of snow to uncover an access panel that led to a crawlspace where the dog was located. Once access was gained, Lt Matthew Kowalski entered the crawl space and found the dog stuck between two floor rafters about 12 feet from the opening.

In a space that narrowed from 18 inches to only about 2 inches, Lt Kowalski crawled as close as he could then used a tool to dig away the dirt so that the dog could be freed. Kowalski was able to free the dog and pass him back to other firefighters that were waiting by the access panel. The dog was then returned to a very appreciative owner.

The operation took approximately one hour.

Beat the Beep

Did you know that carbon monoxide detectors only have a serviceable life of 5 to 7 years? Nicole's law, which required the installation of CO detectors in all homes, was enacted in 2006. Since then, CO detectors have saved lives every single year. Please click on the link below to check out the PowerPoint below that was put together by the Department of Fire Services!